Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-astrophysical-fluid-dynamics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2021/section-a/3/solution
Past exam of the astrophysical fluid dynamics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 Section A 3 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Take the outward wavenumber ; the absolute value in the source makes the two propagation directions equivalent. The phase velocity of the gravity-capillary wave obeysDifferentiate with respect to :The second derivative is positive, and at both ends of the positive- range, so this is the global minimum. The minimum phase speed of a gravity-capillary wave isFor and the supplied surface tension and mass density,The corresponding wavenumber is , giving wavelength . At this minimum, . Thus the group velocity and phase velocity agree for this particular ripple, although they differ for general gravity-capillary waves.
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